World War II: Pearl Harbor Hawaii
Virtually anyone who has even a passing interest in American history, or Japanese history for that matter, knows the date of December 7, 1941, and the famous words of American President Franklin D. Roosevelt describing December 7 as “the day that will live in infamy”. Without even having to explain, this of course was the fateful day that the Empire of Japan attacked United States forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In this paper, the researcher will explain some of the major factors leading up to the attack, the attack itself, and the aftermath.
The Seeds of Attack are Planted
Far from a random act that Japan undertook in a moment of indiscretion, the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor was the result of events that had occurred earlier and set the forces in motion that led to the attack itself. When World War II officially began in 1939 as the result of the actions of Germany and the Third Reich, Japan seized the opportunity to expand its holdings in Southeast Asia and surrounding areas, mostly in the pursuit of natural resources, which the tiny island nation of Japan lacked to any great extent (Slackman, 1990). In actuality, Japan had realized that this action would probably attract the attention of the United States and perhaps military action on the part of the U.S., but this was not a prime concern of Japan at this time for a variety of reasons. First, Japan held the theory that because of the German conquest of Europe, the U.S. would be occupied in the European theater of war eventually, and would not have the resources or inclination to engage Japan in any armed conflict. Moreover, Japan had allied with Germany upon the outbreak of the war, and expected to be able to enjoy the protection of the Third Reich against any American action. However, when the U.S. realized that the Japanese were slowly but surely moving closer to the American territories, the tension mounted and the two nations skirmished throughout most of 1940 and 1941 (Slackman, 1990). Ultimately, the Japanese plan to attack Pearl Harbor was devised in an effort to flex muscle against the U.S. in the hopes that America would back down once struck in any aggressive way. The key elements of this attack would be surprise (the attack occurred early on a Sunday morning, generally a day of rest for Americans) and precise planning on the part of the Japanese. The wheels were in motion for the attack to move forward.
The Attack Itself
The actual Japanese attack on the American forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, took place on December 7, 1941. Official records indicate that the first bombs dropped by Japanese war planes hit at about 7:15 am local time. When the smoke cleared from the attack, over 1,500 American servicemen, ill prepared for the attack, lie dead, and most of the fleet of ships docked at Pearl Harbor lay in ruins. Overall, the biggest damage to the American fleet was as follows:
ARIZONA sunk at berth as result of aircraft torpedoes and heavy bombs which exploded forward magazines. CALIFORNIA sunk at berth as a result of hits by two or more aircraft torpedoes; also received one large bomb hit amidships which caused serious fire. NEVADA damaged by heavy bombs, possibly mine in the channel and aircraft torpedoes. Beached across from hospital point to prevent sinking after an attempt to sortie. Batteries intact and manned though no power is on the ship. OKLAHOMA capsized at berth as a result of receiving three or more hits by aircraft torpedoes. PENNSYLVANIA slightly damaged by bomb hit, starboard side of boat deck while in dry-dock number 1, Navy Yard, Pearl Harbor. MARYLAND damaged by bomb hit on forecastle and near miss. TENNESSEE received one heavy bomb through turret top which did not explode, but put 2 rammers out of commission. Also one bomb hit aft which cracked one 14″ gun. Heat from the ARIZONA fire melted and ignited paint in after portion of the second deck which was badly burned out. Ship is now heavily wedged to mooring by reason of the WEST VIRGINIA leaning against her. (Trefouse, 1958)Something else also lay near death and in ruins at Pearl Harbor-America’s hope of staying out of World War II. Once Japan made their bold move, the U.S. had no choice but to enter into the war, and take specific action.Did America Ask for It? Throughout the years following 1941, the question has been asked as to whether or not the U.S. asked for the attack that was leveled at Pearl Harbor. Without entering into an overly technical explanation of all of the details of the events that led up to Pearl Harbor, conventional wisdom holds that the Japanese took advantage of chaos in other parts of the world to try and take over people and places where they simply did not belong. Moreover, the United States had a legitimate concern when Japan moved closer to the borders that protected America, especially in light of the brewing trouble in Europe. It is not too far of a stretch to speculate that the U.S. would have been forced to likewise take some action against Japan if the empire continued to gobble up territory, resources, and encroach on the American “buffer zone” that ensured domestic tranquility. Did Roosevelt Want Pearl Harbor? While it would be inaccurate and unfair to say that President Roosevelt wanted Americans to die at Pearl Harbor, there is evidence that
Roosevelt intended to force the Japanese into an attack. And the records show that he personally took charge sending warships into waters adjacent to Japanese activity. “I don’t mind losing one or two cruisers, but do not take a chance on losing five or six,” Roosevelt stated. Clearly he was trying to anger Japan. The Japanese protested the cruisers, which were just off the island of Shikoku, next to Japanese fleet units (Kaplan, 2000). From this point, the situation only got more tense and eventually it just so happened that Japan struck first. However, based on this evidence, the likelihood that America would have launched an attack on Japan is a very real possibility. Of course, with the benefit of being able to look at the events in hindsight, these items seem crystal clear. At the time that the events were happening, it should be considered, that the United States had to be concerned with the German invasion and takeover of Europe, the nations, including Japan, which joined Germany in this effort, economic turmoil within the borders of the U.S. itself, and much more. From a personal standpoint, Roosevelt, who was in ill health for most of his adult life anyhow, had to contend on a daily basis with the pain and challenges of the ravages of Polio, which surely distracted him and caused him to think irrationally to a certain degree. Also noteworthy is the fact that in the 1940s, the military did not possess the high technology that exists today, and much of the information about Japanese actions had to be taken from the reports of spies and somewhat crude surveillance methods (Ahmad, 2004). The decisions were not easy to make, and solid information was hard to come by, let alone in a pressure cooker as the world was at that point in history.Aftermath of Pearl Harbor The 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor had consequences far beyond the events that occurred on that day. From that point forward, America would not be back to normal for years. World War II soon followed Pearl Harbor, leading to hundreds of thousands of American deaths, billions of dollars in war debt, and a time that almost destroyed the nation at its core. For all of the events of 1941 and beyond, without a doubt, the course of world history was changed significantly. The war changed culture, economics, and the direction of the future of mankind (Black, 2004). Without the US and other nations standing up to the Germans and Japanese, there is no telling what may have happened to the entire world. Thankfully, we will never have to know.
Works Cited
Ahmad, Ahrar. “From Munich to Pearl Harbor: Roosevelt’s America and the Origins of the Second World War.” White House Studies 4.1 (2004): 105+.
Black, Peter W. “A Date Which Will Live: Pearl Harbor in American Memory.” Pacific Affairs 77.3 (2004): 616+.
Kaplan, Morton A. “Why Roosevelt Wanted Japan to Attack Pearl Harbor.” World and I Oct. 2000: 288.
Slackman, Michael. Target – Pearl Harbor. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1990.
Trefousse, Hans Louis, ed. What Happened at Pearl Harbor?: Documents Pertaining to the Japanese Attack of December 7, 1941, and Its Background. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1958.
